After a poor first half performance, the Ballard Beavers came out of the locker room with a fresh attitude and the result was a 55 to 52 win over the Bothell Cougars last week.

Playing in front of a home crowd, Ballard shot poorly and lacked the intensity it has shown in previous games this season, during the first half. They trailed the Cougars by as much as ten points in the first two quarters, ending the half down 22 to 9.

In the locker room at the half, Head Coach Billy Rodgers got on his team to play harder and made some adjustments to handle Bothell's zone defense.

Senior Cody Gregersen then took over the game with his inside post play. He finished with a career high 22 points and 12 rebounds.

"Cody had a fantastic game and he made some free-throws," said Rodgers.

Nigel Peter-Denman, a junior transfer from Seattle Prep added 14 points. Junior point guard Derek Mezich controlled the offense and made sure his teammates got the ball in good position to score.

"As time wound down in the fourth quarter and Gregersen on the bench with four fouls, senior Cameron Wells came in and crashed the offensive boards for a lay-up to give Ballard a 48 to 44 lead.

With 1 minute 38 seconds left, senior Mace Rakestraw found himself wide open to the left of the key and wisely chose to pass the ball back out instead of shooting, helping to wind down the clock.

Denman was then fouled and made both charity shots for a 50 to 44 lead.

By this time, Bothell's athletic five foot seven inch player, Marcus Morgan, fouled out.

The Cougars tried to rally back but fell short as the buzzer sounded.

The Beavers have shown steady improvement all season under Rodgers and his coaching staff.

"We are making good progress. The energy and effort level has improved," said Rodgers.

Although they lost to Franklin (ranked number one in state), Garfield and Eastlake in recent weeks, Ballard came roaring back against Skyline on January 13.

The Beavers lost to Skyline in overtime 52 to 51 on a buzzer-beater three point shot. Senior Collin Belcher had the hot hand with 18 points, followed by Denman with 11.

With their comeback win over Bothell, the Beavers earned their second KingCo win for a 2-3 league record and 4-8 record overall.

"It showed how the program is coming along. We're getting there, we're right on the cusp and are ready to break over that hump and get some victories," said Belcher, who is averaging 9.6 points.

Practices have been more intense than in past years.

"We're learning to play harder, that's the key," said Belcher.

Gregersen's game has caught up with his six-foot-seven-inch frame. He has benefited greatly from the new coaches and is leading the team in scoring with a 10.7 average.

"Coach Rodgers is really focused on getting me the ball. It has really helped my confidence this year. I really like playing defense and getting blocked shots," said Gregersen.

"We focus on competing in practice and getting that mentality of wanting to win. We have been an on and off team and I would like to get us solid," said Gregersen.

The KingCo West Division standings as of January 19 are: Franklin (6-0); Garfield (3-3); Roosevelt (3-3); Ballard (2-4).

In the Central Division: Inglemoor (6-0); Bothell (3-3); Juanita (2-4); Woodinville (2-4).

The East Division: Lake Washington (6-0); Skyline (3-2); Redmond (1-5); Eastlake (1-5).

Ballard's next game is against Juanita at home on January 27, 8 p.m.